The Sandon Strollers took a journey southwards to visit Ivanhoe, the first time in recent memory that we’ve hosted them…sadly although the generosity of sprit and friendliness we’re able to offer don’t quite compare to the clubhouse and picturesque surrounds when we visit them…but still, all and sundry welcomed them to our little patch of (not quite batting) paradise off the M25.
Hopes were high for an engaging and entertaining match, albeit the trepidation caused by memories of the track recently served up…was the bounce going to be as variable as last time out? Scuttlers followed by ones that rear? Prodigious seam movement or just deviation from the ruts on the surface? All that was before us as the toss resulted in Ives fronting up to face the music in the just after mid-day sun.
Shez and Tai strode to the wicket as a couple of younger members of the opposition marked out impressively long runups. Youthful exuberance got the better of the opening bowlers as a few wides, the odd no-ball and good length eschewed in favour of out and out pace. Both were relatively untroubled as the score-board ticked over at north of 6 an over with only the odd moment when collective hearts were in mouths as top edges landed safely before Tai was undone. This caused a mini collapse as one followed another before Steve brought some calm to proceedings. Shez just batted, and batted, and batted…runs aplenty through forceful strokes all around the wicket…fortune certainly favoured him as Tai, substituting for an incapacitate Stroller dropped a sitter at long on…to show that this was not favouritism, he went and did it again in exactly the same place some twenty or thirty runs later. Another batch of wickets fell in a large clump before Saqib joined the increasingly bemused Shez for half an hour of merry hell, with the ball flying to all quarters. In the final over Shez was caught by….well, it was inevitable wasn’t it; Tai on the boundary for an excellently compiled 90. An undefeated 26 from Saqib was the only other notable score (extras pitched in with a fair few). The variable bounce that had played on batters minds wasn’t too evident, the odd one kept a little low, and effort balls lifted a bit more than expected, but on the whole the pitch wasn’t too bad…a little on the slow side and front foot play was the order of the day. Pity so few managed to really get in and utilise the conditions.
The innings was a classic example of an innings being built around one batter, ifs and buts and maybes abounded, without a shadow of a doubt the size of the pickle Ivanhoe would have been in had Shez been out and the rest of the team performed as they did would have been enormous. 170 odd provided an excellent return and gave Richard the opportunity to attack with his bowlers and field placings.
Three rather sedate opening overs showed the conditions had turned to favour the bowlers, with heavy overhead conditions aiding movement as a little swing put extra layers of doubt in the Strolling batters’ minds. Prasad made the first breakthrough before the top order was ripped apart by Tristan, who just aimed at the stumps and the batters decided playing down the line wasn’t the order of the day, and the stumps took a pounding. Four wickets fell to Ivanhoe’s young tyro, bowling with good pace and accuracy, a hint of movement through the air abetted the threat posed.
A few loose balls went down and were duly punished, but run scoring was generally at a premium, with some sharp fielding keeping the pressure up. Soft hands when the ball went up saw catches aplenty, with Will taking a good one behind the stumps and Hansi plucking two out of the air, including Ben Abrahamson’s first wicket – admittedly Tristan had blighted his copybook by shying away from a sitter a few balls earlier off Ben.
Mo chipped in with a wicket, before coming in a little later than usual, Saqib took a wicket with his first ball, before reverting to spin and picking up the final one to cap an impressive day for him.
Voting was split on the player of the match, but for his 90-odd, the colossus and rock around which the batting was built and without whom the complexion of the game would have changed immeasurably, Shez took the accolade.
Ivanhoe joined the Strollers at the pub for a libation or two and review of the game, the season and life in general, reminding one of how much fun it is to play against them and the friendliness upon which games like this should be played. Here’s hoping that the weather will not intervene and render the reverse fixture unplayable!
Author: Hansi B